- Spend the extra time to make sure you don't run aground, it's worth it. Think twice act once.

- Act slow, only go as fast as the crisis requires. I was stuck in calm shallow water, things weren't getting any worse, I didn't need to be anywhere, why was I in a hurry to get unstuck?

- Use the opportunity. That would halve been the perfect place to clean the prop and scrub the bottom. The water was chest deep and the bottom was nice and sandy. I was kicking myself later when trying to clean the prop while swimming in deeper water.

- A well set anchor will hold more pressure than you can put on it. I set the anchor a ways out then wrapped the line around a winch. The anchor held even after I couldn't turn the winch any more.

- Have a plan for when the boat is freed. "Grabbing the swim latter as the boat goes by" should NOT be part of the plan. Things start to happen very fast and it helps to be prepared

- Watching your boat sail away while still in the water is not very fun. It can also turn a decent swimmer into a floundering mess. Luckily the anchor held or you wouldn't be reading this post.

- Spend the extra time to make sure you don't run aground, it's worth it. Think twice act once.

- Act slow, only go as fast as the crisis requires. I was stuck in calm shallow water, things weren't getting any worse, I didn't need to be anywhere, why was I in a hurry to get unstuck?

- Use the opportunity. That would halve been the perfect place to clean the prop and scrub the bottom. The water was chest deep and the bottom was nice and sandy. I was kicking myself later when trying to clean the prop while swimming in deeper water.

- A well set anchor will hold more pressure than you can put on it. I set the anchor a ways out then wrapped the line around a winch. The anchor held even after I couldn't turn the winch any more.

- Have a plan for when the boat is freed. "Grabbing the swim latter as the boat goes by" should NOT be part of the plan. Things start to happen very fast and it helps to be prepared

- Watching your boat sail away while still in the water is not very fun. It can also turn a decent swimmer into a floundering mess. Luckily the anchor held or you wouldn't be reading this post.

The first thing to learn is to get towing insurance. It's relatively cheap and gives you a lot of peace of mind. I've had it for about twenty years and luckily did not ever need it until the last few years where I've used it three times. Twice last year!! I like Towboat US.

I've gone aground a few times, most in a local river with rather poor holding. Last time I found the high spot in the river at low tide. Control depth was suppose to be 7' and it was 10' right before. Alas one spot was about 3 feet in the middle of the *&&$% river, on a -1' tide. I'll not forget that spot!

But no stress as boats go aground now and then. After tossing the hook out, I went below, made lunch and watched a movie. 2-1/2 hours later, I pulled the hook up and backed off the bar and continued on.

As long as I don't go aground on a high tide and the bottoms soft, I don't stress about it.

I don't know about getting unstuck slowly. As we all know, there are buried huge vise-grip pliers type devices buried in that mud and as soon as you disturb the mud those clamps start to tighten on your keel.
- - And then there is humiliation of being stuck too long and passing boats laughing at you and blowing raspberries toward you.

Currently being relocated back inside USA waters, the ratio of "cruisers" to general recreational boaters is quite low. As uncivil and rude as folks are getting on land, they are also doing the same on the local waters.
- - But eventually, a real "cruiser" or old time local boater will come along and offer help rather than derision. But it could be a long wait, so you had better have towing insurance.